Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-12-22
THE DAY OF DOOM.
The Hanging OF Chester Bellows n,
Charles city.


Charles City.
CHARLES Cry. Dec. i8.--To day will
long be remembered as' an evenlful one
for Charles City. Not only were the
streets lhrnnged, but the thoughts of
many ~ the people Of Iowa were upon
the city where for the first time In twenty
years was to be presented the rcpellant
spectacle OF man hanged, not for ven
gcance, hut Justice according to ordered
laws. There was no thought OF reprieve
or c, mmutati n; no words Of sympathy
or pity, All was quiet in the Jail, not u
rustic or sound betnEeniny the impcnd
inE fate 20 the outside world. In the
en- ~ morning the rural inhabitants began
to pour into town, the incentive being t,n
strong to be repealed, A, = o'clock,
arond the Jail, all wa excitement. The
multitude gathered, thinking that they
would be uiferrd an opportunity to wit
ness the execution. but their desire was
termed away Unparalleled, Outside few
reporters and those authorized by law,
none were TO witness the execution which
FOIL wed. Alto o'clock six chosen mel
Cr m Co. F., |, N, a., went ON daly.
keeping watch around the gallows en-
lnsure, His lat night On earth was one
not soon TO be forg tten by the faithful
leath watches. Up To- . o'clock he man
tested the same fearless dlspoSltl n So
grSted BY tie words he spoke To- the
Warden at Annmosa. lie begged him 20
tell the sheriff Ia hang him early la the
morning So that he might 20 10 he'll In
time for breakfast Shortly af,rr9 o clock
he sheriff entered his cell with a letter
from his sister. Mrs. Waterman, the con
tents OF which will never be known. The
letter WAS handed To Bell VS. and the
sheriff took occaSi u TO atmoniSh him t.
prepare Tor eternity. aS he was to be sure
ly hanged in the morning. Bellows lock
ell up into hi, face SAYING that he woul
laugh al him on the gallows. The sheriff
stepped from the cell and soou he heard
the means from Bellows weeping over
the last written W Irds from once de
voted sister. An hour was spent In al
ternate weeping nnG swearing now weep
ing oyer the thoughts OF death and hi,
terrible crime, swearing because oi
the imagined huffman treatment thn
he was receiving. Sh ,rlly after
o'clock he made n break tor liberty
raising large arm chair to strike
down one of the death guards ~ he was
bending over liking the ire. lie wis
prevented IN this and went TO his cell c"i
aud laid Il ,wn. lie went to sleep right
away and did not ava Ken until Eel ok,
u. M, when he arose and again went t.
busing the guards, and demanding thai
he be liberated, The guard gave HIN
NJ satisfaction. AMI he a:atn went 10 his
cot and slept for over an hour liz
awokc for the las. time on earth shortly
after o'rlnck. aud refused to accept oil
any eatnbles whatever, lie was appar
ENTITY 10 great agony OF mind, hut never
lsped word ~ sorrow over the terrible
crime he had committed At 1880 the
ail encl sure was thrown open and the
fnrty.six who had tickets passed In. A
terrible sound greeted their ears II was
the voice OF Bellows In hiI cell resisting
the officers a. they were putting the
shackl,s upon him. lle succeeded In
iniliciing an ugly wound by biting one Of
the guards hands, lie was forced IL the
wall and was firmly bound
At II minutes to II Sheriff Clark
stepped on tho platform calling In n firm
clear voice the names Of tho twelve Jury.
men. each responding TO his name. The
death warrant was then -ead to Bellows
IN his cell. At lOA5 the death march
commenced. The wini w from the
criminals cell h ID been taken out aud
stairway leading up To the gnll"ws erected
Up they assembled. the sheriff lending
followed by his deputy, Then came Bel
lows. Ia stocking feet partly carried BY
two strong men. His strength had failed
him. He took position over tps tap
and stared al the audience for mo.h1ui
his face wearing sad detected 10 ,k, His
legs wcis pininneh, but not u wori es.
capped his lps until Sheriff Clark adjusted
the moose. when he broke down crying.
'Plense don't. please Il Mt. please don'tf
The ose was then frightened. when In
almost ilaudible words Q said, I'm In
noceni." His supporters stepped on eihc
side Of him. Sheriff Clark moved ~ the
rear. and Mt four minutes to eleven, with
that terrible lie fresh on his lis, the trap
was spruDg aud Bellows was swung into
eternity. Niue minutes after the trap
was sprung life was practically gone. lie
was cut down nj l1:l5. An examination
proved that his neck had been broken In
Two places M relatives witnessed the
excc,lti N, an none would accept ~ the
remnins. II wa4 buried IN the cemetery,
hut II Is rumored that II will not long re-
main there.
The crime was one NJ the most brutal
md cold.blonded ever recorded In the
annals OF Iowa Ii was omnltted on
the farm ~ Chester Wilcox. In Floyd
e, unity. |, wa. on the 9Th day ~ July.
1885. the victim being his niece, Alice
Waterman, a beautiful girl OF sixteen
Bellows was born In the 'ity VI New
York and early In youth was deprived
\ n fathers care aud was brought up
with passions unchecked aud temper IN
bridlrd. n vile and hardened wretch.
wh sc every thought was lirentinus aud
hose aims were s"lcly the qualifications
u the Ia Is Of his hardened heart. + r
, time before he reached his IN ,jprity he
lrnve a street cur in Minneap lis api'
there went from bad to worse. With
snch traits Of character as these he came
into the hsppy aud highly respected
Waterman family, aud proved he serpent
in their Ellen. With no respect for self
or kindred be endeavnrcd to destroy the
virtue II their daughter. his niece. n
highly cultivated and much respected
v, ung lady. Failing in this dstardly at
tenut aud being for hidden longer the
privileges Of home he was laying the
foundation TO de-trry. without the slight.
csi provocation except that engendered
by a icbased mind and an utterly harden
I'd and corrupt heart. he murdered the
poor girl. wantonly and cruelty lie had
learned his lessons OF unbridlcd passions
ON the streets aud IN the slnms of great
cities and the end Is but u legitimate 70.
suit Of thai education
real LEpRD,Y fl KANSlS